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Compression Wear

I’m not sure what the deal is with all this compression clothing. I get the socks, somewhat. They do seem to help pooling in the legs on long trips. But when you add a top, that is where I get lost. Where is the blood supposed to go, your head.

The look is horrible. I was picking up my number at Nationals in Madison and the guys in front of me all had compression socks on still. Man, is that a bad look.

In California, I see a lot of triathlete types actually training in the compression sleeves, etc. I don’t know anything about that. I don’t understand it at all. But I’m pretty sure that, scientifically, they don’t produce any advantage.

I started wearing compression socks after Joe Martin last year when I crashed at 50 mph and got a blood clot in my lower leg. The doctors said it was the right thing to do. Since then I wear them on long drives and flights. I guess it helps. I haven’t died of a blood clot in my lungs yet, so they seem to be working.

They make my legs actually look skinnier, if that is possible.

We had nearly 20 people on the ride the other day. And it was nearly 100 degrees. Pretty good turn-out.

This new guy was carrying an apple in his bottle cage. I didn’t see him eat it, but it was gone about 2/3’rds the way through the ride.

This is my friend Caitlin Silovsky. I went over to her birthday party the other night. I gave her a 1983 Coor’s Classic T-shirt. She was born in 1988. She is doing a fund raiser to try to get to Track Nationals next month. Click here for more information.

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13 thoughts on “Compression Wear”

I remember how much fun we all made of Dick Thompson in Omaha, Neb. He came up with his own set of aero bars a year before the Scott tri bars debuted. We thought it was a “bad look” and all. But then he demolished us all in the weekly time trials. Still, we laughed. Then the triathletes started using them. And the pro riders kept laughing. And then 7-Eleven put four riders in the top 10 of the final time trial at the 1989 Tour du Pont and Greg LeMond took notice. But the pros themselves were still making fun of the “bad look” LeMond was giving in the first time trial at the 1989 Tour de France. Funny how that worked out in the last time trial…

Sean…I thought you were going to talk about how funny it looked because Dick Thompson always wore black dress socks when he rode, like they were the pre-cursor to the compression sock look. But then you took a left turn on me and started talking about aero bars. Dick could turn some pretty fast times in the TT’s. Good stuff though….the good old days.

Compression clothing just looks plain stupid. However, it seems to be easy to convince riders that it is “needed”. Talk to any knowledgeable medical person and they will tell you that wearing them (if you are healthy) is pointless.
We dress weird enough on the bike. We don’t need to look stupid off the bike too.

Compression clothing is great for surviving cancer patients or those suffering from lymphedema or MS.. It looks really bad but they don’t care—they’re alive and active! However, most gear labeled “compression” is total b.s. and seems to be more of a placebo.

Whilst hospitalised for 10days with Pulmonary Embolisms in 2009 , i was required to wear the Long white surgical leggings . Several clots dissolved by combination of drugs , including ongoing ” Sinitrom ” tablets !

When the treatment cycle finished , i was not wearing the ” leggings ” , nor using the Sinitrom until Feb2011 , when symptoms reoccured . Seems that i was part of the 5% that experience the reoccurance and had to drive back to Austria from france to avoid spending more than 3 nights in hospital .

Had i been warned to take half an aspirin each day , i would not nowe be using Sinitrom daily . That blog georgethecyclist.blogspot.com , mentions that Chris Vvd was using tights on the L’Alpe d’Huez , when he visited last week , seems he like Chris Horner is aware of the possibility of ” clotting issues “?

Steve , check with the Doc , he can run tests that can tell if those clots are still in the system , but the half aspirin would be a precaution for anyone , but particularly after a crash . Banging my head or severe bruising , i double my daily intake for a week or so .

meanwhile back to watching the show ponies , millar & Flecha in Paris by Night ! Fly past with colours upstaged what ii have seen so far !